After four defeats on the spin, the Royals finally found that winning feeling again with a dominant performance at Coventry. Grzegorz Rasiak scored twice and another summer signing, Jobi McAnuff, also got himself on the score sheet to the delight of the travelling fans and underfire manager Brendan Rodgers.
After a much improved display against Leicester, despite the result, Rodgers opted to keep a settled side with the only chance seeing captain Ivar Ingimarsson return for the injured Matt Mills. We have come to expect decent first half performances recently but even the most confident of travelling fans would not have expected us to take the lead 30 seconds into the game. Jobi McAnuff picked the ball up on the right hand side and crossed perfectly for Grzegorz Rasiak to leap highest and head into the back of the net.
Glyfi Sigurdsson, Ryan Bertrand and Simon Church all went close as the Royals dominanted and the only real scare at the other end came when Jack Cork had a goal rules out for a clear offside. Brian Howard looked impressive, alongside Marek Matejovsky in the centre of midfield, and he went close twice before the break with long range efforts that whistled wide of the post.
Jobi McAnuff went on a run and got his effort away to test the Coventry keeper just before the break but his time was to come less than 10 minutes after the interval. Howard`s cross found its way to him and he fired home with a fine effort, keeping his composure well.
The Sky Blues introduced Leon Best from the bench and the Irish striker gave Adam Federici a bit of work to do but the Australian keeper couldn`t do anything about Freddie Eastwood`s long range effort that sailed in. It could have set up a tense finale for the Royals but any thoughts of losing more points from a winning position were soon forgotten when Rasiak scored his second goal of the game. Sub Shane Long hit the post and the Polish striker was quickest to react and poked the ball home from close range.
The win continued the Royals run of only winning the last game on each month so far this season, all three away from home! Brendan Rodgers will now need to build on a decent result, starting with fellow strugglers Ipswich next Saturday.
